Fresh on the heels of Memorial Day, America lost another five service personnel to the perils of war.

While the Department of Defense has yet to release the identities of the five soldiers who died Monday in what officials believe was a "friendly fire" incident after air support was called in to help ward off a Taliban attack, local and national media are reporting the names of those killed in southern Zabul province in Afghanistan.

The various reports are based on confirmations from families in mourning.

Among the dead are two Fort Carson soldiers, Pvt. Aaron Toppen, 19, and Justin Clouse, 22, who were assigned to the 4th Brigade Combat Team, according to the Colorado Springs Gazette; Staff Sgt. Scott Studenmund, a 24-year-old Green Beret, according to the Associated Press; and Justin Helton, 25, an explosive ordnance disposal bomb specialist, according to the Circleville (Ohio) Herald.

May they and their yet-to-be-named comrade rest in peace. Our thoughts and prayers go out to their families as they tragically join some 6,805 others who have lost sons and daughters, fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, husbands and loved ones in Iraq and Afghanistan since the War on Terror began.

Now we could weigh in on "friendly fire" and how such things happen, the Bergdahl exchange, the current upheaval in Iraq or even our continuing presence overseas or the wisdom of war.

But now is not the time.

Now we, as a country - again - pause and mark the loss of brave young Americans who gave their lives in service to their country.